Drafting mechanism for spinning machines



Dec. 26, 1967 J. J. KEYSER DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1966 F/GJ 1967 J. J. KEYSER. 3,359,713

DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 26, 1967 J. J. KEYSER DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 10, 1966 Dec. 26, 1967 J. J. KEYSER 3,359,713

DRAFTING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,359,713 DRAFTENG MEQHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES Johann Jacob Keyser, Grabenallee 16, Aarau, Switzerland Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,497 Claims priority, applicatiilfielrmany, Jan. 15, 1965,

5 14 Claims. (Cl. 57-36) Drawing frames used in connection with preparatory spinning or roving, finish spinning, and fine spinning serve for drafting, refining and equalizing the passing slubbing which as a rule is subjected to a plurality of drafting operations. Heretofore known drafting mechanisms employed for the above mentioned purpose usually comprise a number of elements extending in the longitudinal direction of the spinning machine, such as pairs of fluted rollers, pairs of apron cylinders and pairs of pressure cylinders, by means of which due to different circumferential speeds of said pairs, a drafting operation will be effected. With most heretofore known machines of the type involved, the lower cylinders of said cylinder pairs either extend over the entire length of the machine or over the individual field length. The lower cylinders have associated therewith the upper cylinders of the respective pair to which they pertain, and these upper cylinders extend over one or more sectional lengths of the machine. In order to be able to place the slubbing between the cylinders of the cylinder pairs, two upper cylinders are mounted on a common rotatable shaft which is tiltably journalled between said cylinders. This permits the rollers to adapt themselves automatically by tilting to the respective thickness of the slubbing so that they will rest upon the lower cylinder under uniform pressure. Furthermore, the slubbing can be placed between the cylinders. The slubbing passing between the cylinders is, by means of a thread guide, axially displaced back and forth so that the cylinder surface will not be worn locally but uniformly by said slubbing. Consequently, the slubbing enters the thread guide eye which follows the drafting mechanism in a shimmying or an oscillating way so that the slubbing within said thread guide eye swings in all directions with the result that the thread balloon tip of the balloon formed by the thread during its rotation about the spindle will rotate within the thread guide eye about the central axis of the spindle. This in turn brings about a fluttering or shimmying of the balloon.

Heretofore known drafting mechanisms additionally have the drawback that the rather long and continuous lower rollers which may be sub-divided into fields bend in view of the pressure exerted thereupon by the upper rollers whereby the uniform drafting of the slubbing is affected and variations in the pressure exerted by the upper rollers upon the slubbing are caused. Similar bending effects occur in the upper cylinders the shafts of which in the form of oscillating shafts are journalled in supporting arms between two rollers. The individual upper cylinders or rollers usually extend over a plurality of spindle divisions and thus have a considerable length which causes bending. On the other hand, a double sided journalling of the upper cylinders cannot be effected because otherwise the removal of a lap would require the disassembly of the upper roller. When laps occur, it is necessary that these be axially withdrawn from the upper roller, and it is also necessary to be able to introduce a slubbing axially from the side.

The lap formation makes it necessary that if a lap, especially a lap of synthetic fibers cannot be torn open during operation, to sto the drafting mechanism of a machine, because the lower rollers extend over the entire 3,359,713 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 length of the machine and have a single drive extending over the entire length of the machine.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a drafting mechanism which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a drafting mechanism for spinning machines in which the fiber slubbing will be drafted in a manner known per se between pairs of cylinders or rollers, which, however, will avoid the bending of the cylinders or shafts thereof and will also avoid the difliculties when removing a lap.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a drafting mechanism as set forth in the preceding paragraph which will obviate the drawbacks heretofore encountered when the drive for the lower rollers extends over the entire machine length.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a drafting mechanism which will make it possible to drive and stop the individual drawing frames independently from each other and to materially simplify the assembly thereof, especially the exchange of the upper and lower cylinders without the necessity of affecting or stopping more than one divisional section.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a drawingframe mounted on an assembly plate and comprising fluted rollers, pressure rollers and apron rollers.

FIG. 2 is a drawing frame similar to that of FIG. 1 with a different roller arrangement.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a modified drawing frame with still another roller arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of three drawing frames of the same design which in conformity with the present invention are arranged in a fan-like manner with regard to a thread guide which brings together the slubbing leaving said drawing frames.

/ FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a grooved-shaped slubbing condenser.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an apron roller.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a pressure roller.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a fluted roller.

FIG. 9 illustrates the driving wheels for the pressure roller according to FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 diagrammatically illustrates partly in section and partly in view a drafting mechanism mounted by means of an assembly plate on an air passage of the machine.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a drawing frame assembly plate with a portion of a hood.

FIG. 12 is a section along the line XIIXII of FIG. 1 but on a somewhat larger scale than the latter.

A drafting mechanism for spinning machines in which the slubbing is drafted between pairs of rollers is, in conformity with the present invention, characterized in that the shafts of the pairs of fluted rollers, apron rollers, and/or pressure rollers are arranged in vertical location with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine and have one end only journalled on the machine frame, the roller pairs of a drafting mechanism being associated only with one spinning station, slubbing depositing station or the like. An arrangement of the type just mentioned makes it possible to furnish each spinning station with an individual drawing frame which in view of the vertical location of the roller pairs with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine permits the provision of an individual drive or the provision of drives which may individually be disconnected from and connected to the common drive. The length of the rollers may be relatively short so that no bending effects will be encountered and the pressure of the rollers will be uniform over the entire length and will not be subjected to variations during the axial movement back and forth of the slubbing in view of the movement of the slubbing guide. This is in marked contrast to the arrangement employing long rollers which bend under the pressure of said rollers. The present invention furthermore brings about that endless aprons can easily be placed from the front upon the apron rollers and can also be removed therefrom without the necessity of removing a roller. In addition thereto, the present invention makes it possible to move the apron deviating rollers closer to the succeeding rollers.

While with heretofore known drawing frames, the slubbing moves back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the machine between the cylinders of the drawing frame and thus carries out corresponding movements in the succeeding thread guide eye of the spindle, the vertical arrangement of the rollers according to the invention with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine permits the slubbing in the thread guide eye to rest against a very narrow section without said slubbing having to carry out a circular movement within the thread guiding eye which circular movement entails a continuous displacement of the thread balloon tip on a circle. Thus, the present invention brings about a more uniform balloon formation during the spinning operation. The equalization of the pressure exerted upon the slubbing to be drafted brings about an equalization of the drafting operation and thus furnishes better drafting results.

For the sake of completeness, it may be mentioned that a fiber bundling device is known for slivers which is also termed drafting mechanism and employs rollers which are arranged horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and have one end only journalled in the machine frame. This known drafting mechanism, in contrast to a drafting mechanism involved in the present invention, does not draft the slubbing between pairs of rollers. Instead the bundling of the fibers is effected by a plurality of deviations of the fibers between laterally offset rollers while the slubbing passes between a foldedover belt together with the latter between rollers. A drafting mechanism of this type has proved a failure in practice because it does not draft the slubbing.

Another heretofore known drafting apparatus likewise comprises rollers which are arranged perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine. In this instance, however, no pairs of rollers are employed but individual rollers around which a thread is looped. Between two rollers around which the thread is looped, an extension is effected by different speeds of said rollers respectively. This known apparatus is employed in connection with the so-called drawing cops method (Streckkopsverfahren). This apparatus does not represent a drawing frame in the usual meaning of this word for drafting slubbing from finite fibers but serves to tension endless fibers. This known apparatus, therefore, has nothing to do with the drafting mechanism involved in the present invention.

The roller arrangement according to the present invention also facilitates maintaining the drafting mechanism free from lint. To this end, blowing or suction nozzles for blowing off or withdrawing dust, lint and the like may be arranged along the vertical plane along which the slubbing passes.

A further improvement for maintaining the drafting mechanism clean may be obtained by providing at least one suction nozzle below the drafting mechanism in the plane along which the slubbing passes and which is perpendicular to the direction of passage of said slubbing, said suction nozzle being provided with slubbing passage slots which are directed transverse to the passage range.

If this suction nozzle is arranged adjacent the customary thread withdraw passage, the slubbing which, during its passage oscillates back and forth, will always be located in the direct suction range of the suction nozzle. The slubbing passes through the nozzle in transverse direction due to the two slots which are arranged diametrically in the passage plane of the slubbing in the free nozzle end. The slubbing is thus subjected to a particularly intensive suction effect.

According to a further development of the present invention, in the longitudinal direction of the drafting mechanism between the individual fluted rollers, apron rollers and pressure rollers, slubbing condensers may be provided with support-ing surfaces located in a plane and either arranged stationarily or movably parallel to the axes of said rollers. These rollers support the roving in the range between the individual roller pairs, compact said roving and at the same time prevent the same from getting slack which could occur particularly when the pairs of cylinders instead of being arranged horizontally or only at a slight angle with regard to the horizontal plane were located at an incline upwardly or even vertically. The slubbing condensers which are moved back and forth cause the slubbing to move back and forth between the cylinders in longitudinal direction of said slubbing in order to prevent too great a wear at individual spots only.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the pairs of fluted rollers, apron rollers and pressure rollers are supported by an assembly plate arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine and extending in the longitudinal direction of the drafting mechanism. This assembly plate is connected to the machine frame. The arrangement furthermore comprises means permitting a manufacture of the drawing frame independently of the structure of the machine frame and permitting in a particularly simple manner changes in the structure of the drafting mechanism and in the arrangement of the rollers. This makes it possible to arrange the rollers relative to each other in a very precise manner which fact in its turn brings about an equalization of the drafting operation.

Whereas with heretofore known drafting mechanisms employing long rollers extending over the entire length of the machine, local displacements of the individual bearings cannot be avoided, in other words, deviations from a straight line, which deviation-s aid in the bending of the rollers and thus result in an untrue rotation of the rollers, the individual journalling of the rollers according to the present invention, particularly such individual journalling in an assembly plate will assure a very precise arrangement of the rollers in pairs and will also assure precise bearing conditions. Such assembly plate may as a unit prior to the assembly of the machine be produced with high precision without requiring any post-correc ions after the assembly of the machine. The individual journalling stations may be provided for instance together by means of a correspondingly designed boring mechanism with the result that a high precision in the bearing stations or bearings can be obtained.

As mentioned above, by employing an assembly plate as described in the preceding paragraph, it is possible without changing the basic machine structure, to vary the structure of the drafting mechanism and the arrangement of the rollers if such variations should be desired. To this end, bearing bores and/or transverse bearing slots extending over the length of the assembly plate, and a uniform distribution may be provided for the pairs of fluted rollers, apron rollers, and pressure rollers and also for the mounting of slubbing condensers and/or supporting bodies. Such an arrangement, without changing the assembly plate, permits a local displacement of the pairs of rollers and an exchange thereof including the bearings therefor. Furthermore, in conformity with the number of the bearing bores, the number of pairs of rollers and the number of slubbing condensers may be varied at random. Thus, by means of one and the same assembly plate, drafting mechanisms can be produced which have a greatly different construction with regard to the arrangement and type of the roller pairs.

The invention also permits a variation in the pressure at which the cylinders of a cylinder pair are pressed against each other. To this end, one of the two roller bearings arranged in a bearing slot may be displaced against the other roller hearing by spring force, hydraulically or pneumatically by a variable force.

The fluted rollers, apron rollers and pressure rollers may be detachably mountable on rotatable shafts which unilaterally are freely rot-atably journalled in the bearing bores and/or bearing slots and have those ends thereof which extend behind the assembly plate provided with driving wheels or gears.

The advantage of the unilateral journalling has been mentioned above. The particular design according to the invention permits an exchange of the rollers without the necessity of having to exchange their shafts and bearings. Instead, the respective required roller bodies can be placed on the available rotatably journalled shafts. In addition thereto, the arrangement of the driving wheels on the back side of the assembly plate permits an individual drive of the individual drafting mechanisms so that individual drafting mechanisms or drawing frames of individual roller pairs such as the taking-in roller pair may be stopped and operated independently of other roller pairs. Also in this instance the local arrangement of the rollers may be varied in conformity with the respective desired drawing operation while the shafts with the bearings may be removed from their hearing bores or slots and inserted into the required other bearing bores or slots.

According to the present invention, the pairs of fluted rollers, apron rollers and pressure rollers may be covered by a hood which in the plane of the fiber passage is provided with a longitudinal slot and which may be mounted on the assembly plate. In this way, the lint and dust will be deposited in a closed chamber within which it will be blown off from the rollers and from which it will be drawn off; the direction of flow being in the plane of the passage of the slubbing as mentioned above. The longitudinal slot or gap in the hood makes it possible to blow air in in the direction of the plane of passage of said slubbing and also offers the possibility of placing the slubbing or the broken thread from the outside below the hood between the pairs of rollers. For purposes of simplifying the arrangement, the hood may be composed of two sections separated by the longitudinal slot or gap and adapted to be lifted oif or to be folded toward the side. In this way, the pairs of rollers below the hood are easily accessible for cleaning purposes or for removing a lap or for other servicing or assembly operations.

The blowing off or withdrawing of lint and the like and also the structure of the machine may, according to the invention, further be simplified by connecting the assembly plate on an air conduit which within the range of the longitudinal bores and/or slots is at least partially provided with passages. There exists the possibility of designing the upper portion of a machine frame as a conduit or passage.

As mentioned above, the present invention furnishes the possibility of providing an individual drafting mechanism for each individual roving which after the drafting operation may be combined with other rovings. Each individual drafting mechanism permits the introduction of the roving between the rollers from the operators side in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine. In addition thereto, the invention permits a simple assembly of the drafting mechanism because the unilaterally journalling of the rollers fully suffices particularly because the individual rollers are independent of the division of the machine and are considerably shorter than heretofore known rollers for the purpose involved.

In order to combine a plurality of rovings after they have been subjected to a drawing operation and in order to equalize the withdrawal of the drafted roving from the respective drafting mechanism and their introduction into the combining device for instance a thread guide, it is possible in conformity with the present invention to arrange the drafting mechanisms in the form of a fan in such a way that the distance between the exits of the individual sliver from the drafting mechanism pertaining thereto and the thread guide will be the same. The fan arrangement will as far as the width is concerned not require more space than a heretofore known drafting mechanism in which simultaneously a plurality of parallelly adjacently arranged slubbings are passed as is the case, for instance, when carrying out a preparatory spinning. On the other hand, the fan arrangement according to the present invention has the advantage of affording a simplified assembly, an easier introduction of the slubbing and above all will avoid a non-controllable different draft of the individual slubbings from the drafting mechanism to the common thread guide which combines the individual slubbings or slivers. Also in this instance the individual slubbings will, when passing through the thread guide, engage only a small surface section thereof and will not carry out a circular shimmying movement.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and FIG. 1 thereof in particular, the drafting mechanism as shown therein comprises an assembly plate 1 which is provided with bearing bores 2 arranged in pairs. One bore of each pair is arranged at one side of the plane of symmetry of said assembly plate 1 whereas the other bores of said pairs are arranged on the other side of said plane of symmetry. Between the bores of said pairs of bores 2 there are located additional bearing bores 3 which, if desired, may be provided with a thread. Said bores 3 are intended for the mounting of condensers for the slubbing or for intermediate rollers or the bearing therefor. The bearing bores 2 and 3 are adapted to receive the supporting bars of condensers for the slubbing and rollers. It is also possible to introduce antifriction bearings or slide bearing rings into said bearing bores for receiving the roller shafts.

According to the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the uppermost bearing bores 2 have journalled therein two fluted rollers 4 with a peripheral surface 5 of a material having a high coeflicient of friction, such as materials known under the trademark of Teflon or nylon.

Below fluted rollers 4 the assembly plate 1 has mounted thereon a fluted condenser 6 for the slubbing, which condenser is shown in greater detail in FIG. 5. Condenser 6 has four supporting bars 7 extending into four bores 3 and has its rear side provided with a drive which is more clearly shown in FIG. 10. In view of this drive, condenser 6 is adapted continuously to move parallel to the axes, for instance of the fluted rollers 4, in order in this way to impart a back and forth movement upon the slubbing between the fluted rollers 4. A corresponding back and forth movement is also caused by the condenser 6 between the succeeding two pressure rollers 8 which are followed by rollers 9 of about the same size, said rollers 9 having looped around the apron 10. The sections of apron 10, which form the outside approach deviating rollers 11, are deviated inwardly. The said deviating rollers 11 are journalled in bores 3, whereas the rollers 9 are journalled in bores 2. The bores 3 located therebetween have additional supporting rollers 12 arranged therein. In the last two hearing bores 2 there are again journalled two pressure rollers 8.

As will also be seen from FIG. 1, the arrangement comprises a hood composed of the two hood sections 13. The upper covering surface of the hood has been omitted in FIG. 1 and also in FIGS. 2 and 3 in order not unnecessarily to clog up the drawing. The assembly plate 1 is connected to the machine frame by screws 14.

The embodiment according to FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 primarily by a different distribution of the rollers on the assembly plate 1. This different distribution has been made possible by the fact that the bearing bores 2 and 3 are arranged over the entire length of the assembly plate so that without changing the assembly plate, a different distribution of the rollers may be effected. According to FIG. 2, a relatively long slubbing condenser 6a extends over the upper portion of assembly plate 1. The arrangement and drive of condenser 6a is similar to that of FIG. 1. Condenser 6a is again followed by two fluted rollers 4 which in turn are followed by two apron rollers 9 with the deviating rollers 15 so that the apron 19 passes through a path which is different from that of FIG. 1. The last pair of rollers is again formed by pressure rollers 8.

FIG. 3 shows still another distribution of the rollers while employing an assembly plate of the same type as in FIG. 1. This arrangement comprises a slubbing condenser 6 which is followed by the fluted rollers 4 without a looping band or belt. The fluted rollers 4 are followed by apron rollers 9 and deviating rollers 11 with supporting rollers 12 around which aprons 11 pass. Opposite to the supporting rollers 12 there is located an oscillating supporting member 16 which replaces the supporting rollers 12 and serves for supporting belt 10.

The last pair of rollers according to FIG. 3 is again formed by a pair of fluted rollers 4 which pair corresponds to the first fluted roller pair according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a fan-like arrangement of three identical drafting mechanisms each of which corresponds to that of FIG. 1. The drafting mechanisms are inclined to each other by an angle of approximately 30 and are so arranged that the free slubbing length between the last pressure rollers 8 and the thread guide eye 17 will be the same in each case. The thread guide eye 17 combines the three slubbings released by the drafting mechanisms, for instance for the subsequent deposit of the slubbing.

FIG. 6 shows a roller shaft R which by means of its end R extends through the assembly plate 1 and by means of the roller section 19 rests in a bearing bore 3. Said roller shaft rests upon assembly plate 1 by means of a stepshaped section 20. The inner shaft 18 is freely rotatably journalled in the interior of the roller section 19 and by means of a second bearing rests upon the opposite end of roller section 19a. The respective desired roller can be placed upon such shaft 18 with a hexagonal end 23a and a rotatable portion 19 and 19a. The roller is connected to such shaft by means of a thread 21 and a nut 22 (FIG. 7). According to FIG. 7, a pressure roller 8 has been mounted on shaft 13. According to FlG. 8, a fluted roller 4 has been mounted on shaft 18.

The hexagonal head 23 of shaft 18 is adapted to receive a gear 24 which can be connected thereto and is in its turn connected to a sprocket wheel 25. Gear 24 of one roller meshes with a corresponding gear 24 of the roller associated with said first mentioned roller. By means of sprocket wheel 25 and circulating chains, the individual rollers are adapted to be driven. If desired, instead of a chain drive, also any other drive may be employed, for instance a gear drive, a worm wheel drive, or the like.

FIG. shows more clearly the buildup and the journalling of the rollers and the drive therefor. The drafting mechanism according to FIG. 10 likewise comprises an assembly plate 1 which is connected to the air conduit 26 of the machine. The uppermost roller pair represents a pair of pressure rollers 8. These rollers are followed by a slubbing condenser 6 of the type shown in FIG. 5. The next pair represents a fluted roller pair 4 with an outer cover 5. The fluted rollers 4 are followed by the apron rollers 9 and the supporting and deviating rollers 11 over which the apron 10 passes. Rollers 11 are journalled in assembly plate 1 by means of bores 3 while other bores 3 receive the slubbing condenser 6. The remaining rollers are journalled in bores 2 of the assembly plate 1. As will be seen from the sectioned roller 4 in FIG. 10, the roller shaft 18 extend-s through assembly plate 1 and the cover walls 26a of air passage 26. Within the range of assembly plate 1 an antifriction bearing 27 with outer race ring 28 is mounted on shaft 18, said outer race ring 28 being located on the roller section 19 of FIG.

6. Outer race ring 28 is with roller section 19 fitted into a bore 2 of the assembly plate 1. Additionally, shaft 18 is journalled inside roller section 1% by means of an antifriction bearing 29 so that shaft 18 is freely rotatable within rollers 19, 20, 19a. The fluted roller 4 is firmly screwed to the free end R of shaft 18 by means of the hexagonal end 23a and the threaded end 21 with nut 22. The other end of shaft 18 which extends through assembly plate 1 has connected thereto a gear 24 with a sprocket wheel 25. By driving sprocket wheel 25, shaft 18 rotates and thereby also fluted roller 4. The associated second fluted roller which is not shown in the drawing is driven by gear 24 inasmuch as the gears 24! of both fluted rollers 4 mesh with each other.

The design of gears 24 and 25 is, with the lower pressure roller 8, the same as described in connection with the fluted roller 4. With the apron roller 9, only the gear 24 is provided for the drive. The synchronism of the two apron rollers 9 is assured by the meshing of their gears 24. The supporting or deviating rollers 11 are not positively driven but are driven only by the apron 1%.

The drive for the pressure rollers 8 corresponds to the drive for the fluted rollers 4. FIG. 10 clearly shows the sprocket wheel 25 and the gear 24.

With regard to the air passage 26, a pressure below atmospheric pressure may prevail therein so that a suction effect will be exerted through the free bores in the assembly plate 1 for drawing into the air passage lint, dust, or the like. The assembly plate 1 may form the sole cover for the air passage 26 which in such an instance would be cut out within the range of assembly plate 1. With some of the arrangements set forth above, air passage 26 may also serve other purposes. Thus, for instance, air under pressure may be drawn into passage 26 which air then passes through the bearing bores 2 and 3 of assembly plate 1 toward the outside and blows off lint and dust from the rollers and other parts of the drafting mechanism.

It is also possible alternately to blow air through passage 26 and to draw in air through passage 26 so that by blowing in air under pressure, dust and lint will be loosened from the rollers and by drawing air through said passage 26, the thus loosened lint and dust will be drawn from the respective parts on which it has deposited. When a suction effect is exerted through passage 26, it is advantageous in air passage 26 to provide at least one partition 48 which will separate the transmission gears 24 and 25 and other movable transmission parts from the chamber proper of air passage 26 so that the transmission itself will be encased and will not be affected by lint or dust drawn into the air passage.

The free bearing bores 2 and 3 in assembly plate 1 and in cover Wall 26a of air passage 26 are connected to air passage 26 by tubes 49 one of which is shown in FIG. 10. These tubes 49 extend through the transmission chamber between the cover wall 26a and the partition 48 of air passage 26. In this way, the transmission gears and other transmission parts are separated from the path of the air and are closed off by themselves. An additional suction nozzle 30 is provided below the drafting mechanism and leads into the thread suction passage 42 which is arranged below the air passage 26. The free nozzle end has two diametrically oppositely located slots 43 which are located in the plane along which the thread is passed through. Slubbing 31 thus passes through nozzle 30 in a direction transverse thereto whereby a particularly intensive suction effect is exerted upon said slubbing.

The path of the slubbing corresponds substantially to line 31, while the slubbing passes through the thread guide 17 arranged at the lower part of the air passage 26 and connected to plate 32 thereof.

Slubbing condenser 6 is likewise driven and, more specifically, in such a way that it moves in an axis paral- 7 lel manner with regard to rollers 8, 4 and 9. The supporting bars 7 are displaceably arranged in bearing bushings 41 which in their turn are connected to bearing bores 3. The ends of the supporting bars 7 are supported by and connected to a supporting plate 40 which at its cranked end 44 carries a guiding roller 45 (FIG. Guiding roller 45 engages a groove 46 which while extending around grooved member 47 is inclined with regard to the axis of said member 47, said grooved member 47 is adapted to rotate together with sprocket wheel 25. In view of the inclined location of groove 46, the slubbing condenser 6 will during the rotation of grooved member 47 carry out an axial displacement, in one and the opposite direction. In this way, the slubbing passing between the rollers will continuously carry out a movement back and forth so that those portions of the rollers which are engaged by the slubbing will change axially and oscillate back and forth.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the assembly plate 1 with bores 2 and 3. It will clearly be evident from FIG. 11 that bores 2 may also be replaced by slots 33 in which bearing bodies -34 are transversely displaceably arranged, each bearing body 34 being provided with a bearing bore 2. The arrangement of FIG. 11 shows two such slots 33 with hearing bodies 34. If desired, a plurality of such slots 33 may be provided. The journalling of the rollers in such bearing bodies 34 makes it possible to press one roller against the other and thus to vary the pressure. For purposes of post-adjustment, a wedge-member 35 may be provided which engages bearing body 34 as shown in FIG. 12. Wedge-member 35 is adjustable by means of a screw 36 while a spring 37 is introduced in order to assure a certain yieldability of bearing body 34 and thus of the roller journalled therein.

FIG 11 also shows that the entire drafting mechanism may be covered by a hood which is indicated in the above described embodiments. According to FIG. 11, two hood sections 13 are provided which are separated from each other by a slot extending along the central plane of the assembly plate 1. In this way, it is possible to pass a slubbing from the top through the slot between the rollers.

The hood section shown in FIG. 11 is placed upon the assembly plate 1, and to this end the outer marginal portion of plate 1 is provided with a corresponding step. On the right hand section of assembly plate 1 the outer marginal portion of plate 1 shows a hinge 38 by means of which a laterally foldable hood section may be connected to the plate to thereby enable the operator to clearly view the operations within the drafting mechanism.

The provision of a hood as just mentioned greatly protects the individual drafting mechanisms and furnishes the possibility of withdrawing all occurring dust and lint into the air passage 26. Air passage 26 may, as shown in FIG. 10, support all drafting mechanism which extend over the length of the machine.

The drafting mechanisms may be arranged vertically so that the slubbing is drafted in a direction from the top to the bottom. Preferably, a slight inclination is provide-d as shown in FIG. 10. An inclination toward the side may be contemplated when the arrangement of the drafting mechanism is effected in the manner of a fan as shown in FIG. 4. It is also possible to arrange the drafting mechanism horizontally. In such an instance the individual rollers will be vertically arranged so that the slubbing passes in the horizontal plane through the drafting mechanism and when leaving the drafting mechanism is moving downwardly at an angle.

As will be evident from the drawing, the employment of short rollers which are unilaterally journalled and are arranged perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine will result in a space saving drafting mechanism in which the introduction of the slubbing and the elimination of laps and the like is con- 10 siderably simpler than is the case with heretofore known drafting mechanism.

In addition to facilitating the handling, the assembly of a drafting mechanism according to the present invention is likewise made easier because only small parts are to be assembled so that also a greater accuracy can be assured. The assembly on a drafting mechanism can be effected independently of adjacent drafting frames so that a repair of one drafting frame requires merely the stopping of said one drafting frame. The drafting frames can be individually stopped and to this end, as shown in FIG. 10, it is merely necessary to engage and disengage couplings between the main drive and the individual drives for the rollers. The short length of the rollers will avoid bending of the rollers. Furthermore, the rollers can easily be exchanged as to their location. Also the drafting frames can easily be varied functionally while using the same parts. This is particularly evident when comparing FIGS. 1 to 3 with each other.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a spinning machine frame means: a plurality of drafting mechanisms, each of said drafting mechanisms including a plurality of pairs of roller means for respectively passing slubbing therebetween and drafting the same, the pairs of roller means of each drafting mechanism pertaining to the respective drafting mechanism only, and shaft means respectively having one end thereof only journalled in said machine frame means, said shaft means respectively rotatably supporting said roller means so that one end face of said roller means faces said machine frame means while the other end faces of said roller means faces away from said machine frame means.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, which includes means supported by said machine frame and extending into the plane in which the slubbing passes between the rollers of said roller pairs for removing dust and lint.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which each of said drafting mechanisms has arranged therebelow a tubular suction member having two oppositely located slots extending in the longitudinal direction of said suction member and being located in the path of the slubbing being passed through said pairs of rollers.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which each of said drafting mechanisms includes slubbing condenser means interposed between two successive pairs of roller means and extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective drafting mechanism.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which said slubbing condenser means is movable back and forth in the axial direction of said roller means.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said machine frame means includes a plurality of mounting plate means corresponding in number to the number of said drafting mechanisms and being detachable from the remainder of said machine frame means, said shaft means for said roller means being journalled in said mounting plate means.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, in which each of said mounting plates comprises aperture means for use in connection with the mounting of said roller means.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, in which each of said drafting mechanisms includes slubbing condenser means arranged between two successive pairs of roller means, and in which said mounting plate means also includes aperture means for use in connection with the mounting of said slubbing condenser means.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, in which at least one of said aperture means includes adjustable slide 11 means for receiving bearing means for roller means of a pair of roller means, said slide means being movable selectively toward and away from the aperture means pertaining to one and the same pair of roller means.

10. An arrangement according to claim 6, in which said roller means are detachably mounted on said shaft means, and in which said shaft means extend through said mounting plate means and are provided with driving means for rotating the respective shaft means.

11. An arrangement according to claim 6, which includes cover means mounted on said plate means and provided with passage means in alignment with the path of the slubbing to be passed through the respective drafting mechanism.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, in which said cover means comprises two hood sections spaced from each other by a gap forming said passage means.

13. An arrangement according to claim 7, in which each said spinning machine frame means comprises air passage means, and in which said mounting plate means are respectively mounted on said air passage means, said air passage means comprising aperture means within the range of the apertures in said mounting plate means.

14. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which some of said drafting mechanisms are arranged in a fanshaped manner with the inlets of said drafting mechanisms spaced from each other by a greater distance than the distance between the outlets of said drafting mechanisms, and thread guiding means common to the said drafting mechanisms arranged in a fan-shaped manner, the distances between said common thread guiding means and the exits of the said drafting mechanisms arranged in a fan-shaped manner being substantially equal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1899 Emery 5736 9/1954 Andrews et al. l9-252 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SPINNING MACHINE FRAME MEANS: A PLURALITY OF DRAFTING MECHANISMS, EACH OF SAID DRAFTING MECHAMISMS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF ROLLER MEANS FOR RESPECTIVELY PASSING SLUBBING THEREBETWEEN AND DRAFTING THE SAME, THE PAIRS OF ROLLER MEANS OF EACH DRAFTING MECHANISMS PERTAINING TO THE RESPECTIVE DRAFTING MECHANISM ONLY, AND SHAFT MEANS RESPECTIVELY HAVING ONE END THEREOF ONLY JOURNALLED IN SAID MACHINE FRAME MEANS, SAID SHAFT MEANS RESPECTIVELY ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER MEANS SO THAT ONE END FACE OF SAID ROLLER MEANS FACES SAID MACHINE FRAME MEANS WHILE THE OTHER END FACES OF SAID ROLLER MEANS FACES AWAY FROM SAID MACHINE FRAME MEANS. 